For years, the profession seemed to fit Nexus perfectly. She was able to hustle nonstop, collecting minerals and other precious stones, and her tolerance for the heat was surpassed by none. Her aptitude for being a surfacer actually caught the attention of the managers who oversaw the trips to make sure the workers hit their quotas, and she was rewarded with numerous things, including extra money which she would give to her parents to help out the family. This success carried on for four years. Then, when she was 13, something happened that changed her forever.

During a surfacing trip to inner Planet III in the Foinix System, Nexus came upon a rich deposit of minerals. The trail led her to a cave opening where she discovered a huge, very rare and precious gem. However, it was right next to a slumbering sunthrax beast. These monsters were native to the planet, and they were notorious amongst all surfacers. It was widelyknown that if a worker saw one, they should run the other way immediately. Sunthraxes were extremely aggressive, and their enormous size meant if they had a surfacer in their sights, that person was as good as dead. Sunthrax monsters were one of the many beasts that caused the surfacers to have to work during very specific times of the day, and only during certain seasons. However, when Nexus saw the sleeping sunthrax, she did not see danger. She only saw a huge reward that could benefit her family greatly.

So, Nexus stealthily crept into the cave and placed the stone into her bag. Alas, she was not quiet enough as this woke the monster, which led to a wild chase. Nexus used her wit and began climbing the mountain, knowing the beasts were not adept at climbing. However, the higher she climbed, the more intense the temperatures became, due to moving towards the waves of heat from the tri-sun flares. From nearby, fellow surfacers noticed the chase and called to her parents. They all watched in horror as the beast ran up the paths in relentless pursuit of its prey, chasing Nexus to the peak of the small mountain. It appeared she was as good as dead.

Once Nexus was at the top, the other surfacers began saying nobody could withstand the temperatures that high up, and they pointed out how she was trapped by the monster. Nexus’s mother could not take their words, so she yelled for everyone to shut up. If she had to watch her daughter die, she did not want play-by-play commentary to go with it.

At the top of the mountain, it was so hot even the beast that was native to the planet began feeling the effects of the immense heat. The sunthrax was starting to weaken. So was Nexus. However, a miraculous thing would occur next.

Her parents cringed in fear and hollered to their daughter, as the sunthrax slowly inched forward. At that moment, Nexus heard their voices amongst the crowd, and, moved by her love for them, combined with her will to survive, Nexus stood tall, despite being beaten down by the incredibly high temperatures. Then, as she faced her doom fearlessly, her skin and hair began glowing bright while an enormous burst of energy emitted from her. Fire rippled over her skin, and Nexus was seemingly possessed by timeless spirits of courageous and brave warriors. Consequently, she charged the monster and leapt to punch it. In a swift motion, a stream of fire trailed from her fist and she instantly disintegrated the beast into flames!

The surfacers were amazed and began yelling out Nexus’s name in celebration. They claimed the prophecy of the ancients was at hand. Meanwhile, her parents ran to the mountain to greet Nexus at the bottom. Their girl emerged from the path, her orange skin glowing bright, flames rippling from her hair to her feet like water in a bubbling brook. Everyone stood in awe. Then, Nexus began crying once she saw her parents. The flames instantly disappeared, and she returned to her normal self, before hugging her mother and father tightly.

Amidst their reunion, Nexus was told by the manager of the surfacers that she could keep the gem she had excavated from the cave. It was her way to pay homage to The Ancient.Nexus gave the large, precious stone she found in the cave to her parents. It was one of a kind. None like it had been discovered in ages, and it meant Nexus and her parents would never have to work another day as surfacers in their lives.

Upon returning to Fotia, the stories of Nexus being an ancient spread like wildfire. Her parents sold the rare gem to the Fotian planetary government, instantly becoming one of the wealthiest families in the Foinix System. Meanwhile, Nexus was enrolled in the best of schools, and provided the highest level of military and combat training. She also perfected her ancient abilities, becoming a living goddess of fire through mastering the abilities of a fire warrior, like the Fotians’ very distant ancestors. And it was this great, powerful gift that made her decide to dedicate her life to being a leader and protector for her home planet.

Upon Nexus’s completion of school and training her first mission, however, was not a military one. She led excursions to the inner planets and battled the domestic beasts, annihilating them, making the planets safe for surfacers to work year-round to increase their income and improve their lives. Soon, settlements popped up on the few habitable inner planets, and they began developing remote communities there for permanent living, both on the surface, and below during the solar flares.

Fotians were expanding inwards into the Foinix System at a great rate, and the first planet they worked to develop was Planet III, where Nexus defeated the sunthrax monster and gained her powers. Eventually, it was renamed Nexusia after the hero.

All of this led to Fotia becoming one of the greatest galactic empires in the Sympan Treaty of Galaxies. Naturally, it was around this time that General Tixus Trexion heard about what Nexus had done during the rise of the Fotian Empire. He had to witness the greatness with his own eyes, so he traveled to Fotia to find her. The rest was history.

As Nexus finished reminiscing on her past, she activated her powers to test the new armor. Instead of blocking her fire, the gear became transparent and allowed her fire to flow freely all over. Then, when she transformed back into her normal state, the armor rematerialized and returned to its original form. It was magnificent technology, and Nexus knew she was ready to depart. So, she grabbed her fireproof weaponry, her bag of supplies, and she boarded her transport ship to go join General Tixus.

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